The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for packaging products for shipping.
Mail-order companies and other organizations that deliver products by mail or courier are continually striving to improve the efficiency of the processes of packaging products and getting them ready for shipment, which generally includes labeling (i.e., affixing a label on each package indicating the address of the recipient), and franking (i.e., putting the correct postage on each package). In many cases, even if the products are packaged by an automated packaging machine, the processes of labeling and franking are performed at least in part by hand.
For instance, many small- to medium-volume shippers still manually weigh each package after the packages are produced. A label is then printed, and a worker manually applies the label to the package. Not only is this procedure inefficient, but it has potential for errors, such as applying the wrong label to a package.